UAE "Likely" To Fund Sun-Powered Aircraft Experiment

Maybe Steve Fossett had it slightly wrong -- maybe there IS another aviation record worth breaking. And maybe Bertrand Piccard will break it.

Piccard, in The United Arab Emirates for a freewheeling "Festival of Thinkers," told the Khaleej Times he now has 50 people working on creation of a solar powered aircraft.

Piccard said he expects to begin construction of the aircraft next year.

"I am hopeful of making the first test-flight by the end of 2007, cross continents and oceans between 2008 and 2009, and actually go around the world in 2010," he told the Times.

As ANN reported in 2003, Piccard has help from the Laussane Federal Institute of Technology.

But while that might give him a leg up on the technological side of development, it doesn't necessarily fund the project. For that, Piccard is reportedly turning to the UAE.

During his trip to the UAE, Piccard met with Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Education, hoping to obtain further backing for his project.

"I have all the reasons to believe that this is going to be one of the milestones of exploration in the 21st century. It is history in the making and I would like to have the emirates and the Higher Colleges of Technology as partners in this project," he told the Times.

Once his aircraft is built, Piccard plans to fly it around the world -- non-stop (Steve, are you listening?)

The Abu Dhabi newspaper reports UAE funding for at least part of the project is "likely." Is it a stunt? No way, said Piccard.

"What will change the world is promotion of new profitable market, new products and activities linked with sustainable development. And my solar plane is a symbol of just that," he said in his exclusive interview with the Khaleej Times.

FMI: www.epfl.ch/Eindex.html, www.solar-impulse.com